Sliding jaw wrench having a pinion rack lock



Sept. 12, 1967 R. G. SCHRADER 3,340,753

SLIDING JAW WRENCH HAVING A PINION RACK LOCK Filed July 20, 1966 IN V EN TOR. Raymond Geo 78 Sell radar United States Patent 3,340,753 SLIDING JAW WRENCH HAVING A PINION RACK LOCK Raymond George Schrader, Mentor, Kans. (Rte. 1, Box 112, Assaria, Kans. 67416) Filed July 20, 1966, Ser. No. 566,519

1 Claim. (Cl. 81-133) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pipe wrench including a jaw fixed to an elongated handle having a toothed rack along one edge thereof engaging a cog wheel carried on a slideable jaw that is slideable along the handle, and a manually enga-geable toothed latch for selectively engaging the cog wheel so to lock the slideable jaw to the handle, the slideable jaw being quickly adjustable along the handle when the latch is disengaged from the cog wheel.

This invention relates to wrenches and more particularly an adjustable pipe wrench.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide an adjustable pipe wrench provided with teethlike grasping surfaces and being adapted to be suitably adjusted for pipe Work.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable pipe wrench provided with a supplemental securing means for eliminating a possibility of accidental slippage of said wrench.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable pipe wrench wherein the jaw portions thereof may be suitably replaced.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable pipe wrench which is inexpensive to manufacture, may be moderately priced, is safe to use, and provides maximum utility to its user.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be come apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an elevated view of this invention shown partly in section;

FIGURE 2. is a top view of FIGURE 1 shown partly in section along lines 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary detail seen from the right side of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 illustrates partially in side view a modification of this invention.

According to this invention, an adjustable pipe wrench is provided a housing 11 having an opening 12 therein. A transversely mounted shaft 13 is suitably positioned within the side walls of housing 11. A gear or cog wheel 14 is mounted on shaft 13 in a known manner and is adapted to rotate around said shaft in accordance with the movements of the elongated member 28. Housing 11 is provided with a whole 16 which is adapted to receive a shaft 18 of the locking knob 17, which shaft is directly "ice secured to a latch member 19. Said latch member 19 is provided with a pair of spaced-apart, outwardly extending teeth. Compression spring 20 is suitably secured within the hole 16 so that it abuts the latch member 19 and the rear plate 15.

Looking now at the drawing, one will see that the wrench member 28 is outwardly extending from the housing 11 and the locking knob 17 also assumes an outwardly extended position. The gear or cog wheel 14 is rotated when said member 28 is moved outwardly or inwardly within the hollow portion of the handle 23. Once member 28 is extended outwardly, at a pre-determined distance, locking knob 17 is then released and the latch member 19 grasps the teeth of the cog wheel 14. The bottom portion of housing 11 is provided with an outlet hole 21 and a threaded hole 22, both of which facilitate the movements of the wrench member 28. One end of handle 23 is suitably threaded for insertion of said handle into the threaded hole 22. For preventing sidewise movements of member 28, a spring 24 is suitably secured to housing 11 by means of screws 25. Member 28 terminates at a perpendicularly extending grasping portion 33 which removably supports a jaw portion 30 having a plurality of teeth 30'. At least one pair of screws 32 secures said jaw portion 30 on the grasping portion 33. An oppositely positioned grasping portion 31 is secured to housing 11 by means of screws 32' and is also provided with a plurality of teeth 31'.

It will also be noted that the invention in its modified form provides a screw-like shaft 26 which is secured to the latch member 19. Shaft 26 is embedded within the support portion 25 of the locking knob 27.

What I now claim is:

A quick adjusting pipe wrench comprising in combination, a fixed jaw integral with one end of an elongated handle, and a moveable jaw, moveable along said handle, said moveable jaw comprising a housing having a central cavity, a cog wheel located within said cavity and mounted upon a transverse haft supported at opposite ends in said housing, a toothed rack along a side of said handle, said icog wheel engaging said toothed rack, a leaf spring secured to said handle normally urging said cog wheel and said toothed rack into engagement, and a latch, said latch comprising a rectangular block slideable in a rectangular opening in said housing, said block having teeth on one side thereof for engaging said cog wheel, said block having a threaded shank integral therewith from an opposite side thereof, said shank engaging a threaded opening in a rotatable knob extending outwardly of said housing, said knob being held rotatably free within said housing by an extending flange on said knob being held captive in a circular groove of said housing, said knob providing means for selective engagement and disengagement of said block with said cog wheel so as to lock said jaws in fixed relationship.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1910 Johnson 81133 2/1956 Morgan 81-133 X 

